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This brief presents findings from the 2023 KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey on coverage of abortion services in large employer-sponsored health plans, changes employers made to abortion coverage since the 2022 Supreme Court ruling, and employers’ provision of financial assistance for travel out of state to obtain an abortion. from KFF https://ift.tt/pWtL6A3
Note: This content was updated on February 28, 2024 to incorporate new FAQs from CMS. Tables 1 and 2 were also updated to include updated recommendations. It has been more than ten years since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) required private insurance plans to cover recommended preventive services without any patient cost-sharing. Research has shown … More from KFF https://ift.tt/CjurP3w
In this column, KFF President and CEO Drew Altman explores the potential for some health care issues—including abortion, drug costs and other affordability challenges—to influence enough voters in swing states to make a difference in this year's presidential election. from KFF https://ift.tt/9oSzZF1
How Many Uninsured Are in the Coverage Gap and How Many Could be Eligible if All States Adopted the Medicaid Expansion?
How Many Uninsured Are in the Coverage Gap and How Many Could be Eligible if All States Adopted the Medicaid Expansion?
Ten years after the implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) coverage options, ten states have not adopted the Medicaid expansion, leaving 1.5 million uninsured people without an affordable coverage option. States that have not implemented the expansion have uninsured rates that are nearly double the rate of expansion states (14.1% compared to 7.5%). from KFF https://ift.tt/A1BaWoN
A Third of the Public View Racism as a Major Problem in Health Care; Larger Shares See Racism as a Major Problem in Politics, Criminal Justice, and Other Areas
A Third of the Public View Racism as a Major Problem in Health Care; Larger Shares See Racism as a Major Problem in Politics, Criminal Justice, and Other Areas
About a third (32%) of the public view racism as a major problem in health care, fewer than say the same about politics (56%), the criminal justice system (54%), and policing (51%), a new KFF report on the public’s views of racism finds. The lower levels of perceived racism in health care may reflect high … More from KFF https://ift.tt/8qz2CEj
Gun violence has increased in recent years and adversely affects many children and adolescents. This brief explores the disproportionate impacts of gun violence on children of color and male youth and the negative mental health consequences associated with gun violence. It contains current and trend data on firearm death rates among children and adolescents ages 17 and under. from KFF https://ift.tt/5T0mhxA
Health Care Costs Top the Public’s List of Financial Worries, and Those Who Are Struggling the Most Want to Hear Presidential Candidates Discuss Economic and Health Care Issues
Health Care Costs Top the Public’s List of Financial Worries, and Those Who Are Struggling the Most Want to Hear Presidential Candidates Discuss Economic and Health Care Issues
At a time when kitchen table economic problems are on voters’ minds, unexpected medical bills and health care costs top the public’s list of financial concerns, and voters who are struggling to pay their monthly bills are the most eager to hear the presidential candidates talk about economic and health care issues, the latest KFF … More from KFF https://ift.tt/hBIWuvm
Half of adults say they have difficulty affording monthly bills or are just able to afford household expenses without having money left over. These groups overwhelmingly rate the economy negatively and are more likely to want 2024 presidential candidates to discuss economic issues. from KFF https://ift.tt/zWNwmYX
KFF Health News won the 2023 George Polk Award for Medical Journalism for its year-long investigation with CBS News into the failure of FDA-approved medical devices that were suspected of contributing to thousands of injuries and patient deaths. The George Polk Awards were established in 1949 by Long Island University to commemorate George Polk, a … More from KFF https://ift.tt/QfgO3Tz
In a new column in JAMA Health Forum, Larry Levitt, KFF’s executive vice president for health policy, explores what a second Trump presidency might mean for health policy based on his record and remarks, including potentially weakening the Affordable Care Act, reducing federal Medicaid costs, and restricting access to abortion. from KFF https://ift.tt/iRnNXFt
The KFF State Profiles for Women’s Health database offers the latest national and state data and policies on a broad range of state-level statistics and policies of importance to women including health status, insurance and Medicaid coverage, use of preventive services, contraceptive coverage, sexual health, maternal and infant health, and abortion policies. Many indicators also provide state-level information for women of different racial and ethnic groups. from KFF https://ift.tt/EsmF7ru
Fewer nursing facility residents and staff are getting COVID-19 vaccines, according to a new KFF analysis of federal data. Only 38% of residents and 15% of staff have received the latest vaccine. In comparison, 50% of residents and 22% of staff received updated vaccines in 2022 and 87% of residents and 88% of staff completed … More from KFF https://ift.tt/NPZYvJu
KFF analysis found that over one-fifth of all U.S. COVID-19 deaths occurred in long-term care facilities despite but as of January 14th, 2024, only 38% of residents and 15% of staff were “up-to-date” with their COVID-19 vaccines, which the CDC defines as having received the updated Fall 2023 vaccine. Those rates are lower than uptake was for the 2022 vaccine. from KFF https://ift.tt/xOaNeAV
KFF President and CEO Drew Altman examines the coming squeeze on state budgets and state Medicaid programs, stemming from declining federal matching funds, weakening state revenues, and competing state priorities, and the challenges it poses for states seeking to strengthen their programs and try innovative new approaches. from KFF https://ift.tt/526hucF
Feb. 22 Virtual Event – The Health Wonk Shop: Prior Authorization in Health Insurance: A Needed Tool to Contain Costs or an Excessive Barrier to Needed Care?
Feb. 22 Virtual Event – The Health Wonk Shop: Prior Authorization in Health Insurance: A Needed Tool to Contain Costs or an Excessive Barrier to Needed Care?
Nearly 1 in 5 consumers with health insurance say their insurer delayed or denied care in the past year due to its requirements for prior authorization, a process through which insurers can require patients to obtain approval in advance before they will agree to cover specific services. Insurers point to prior authorization as a tool … More from KFF https://ift.tt/MwVzBe7
In 2023, 5.2 million dual-eligible individuals were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan designed specifically for dual-eligible individuals, known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans (D-SNPs). This brief highlights 10 things to know about D-SNPs, including national and state enrollment trends, plan availability, insurer participation, benefits, and prior authorization rates and denials from KFF https://ift.tt/eqI2jS9
New $2,000 Medicare Part D Cap Could Reduce Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs for Over One Million Beneficiaries Beginning Next Year, Including Tens of Thousands of Beneficiaries in Most States
New $2,000 Medicare Part D Cap Could Reduce Out-of-Pocket Drug Costs for Over One Million Beneficiaries Beginning Next Year, Including Tens of Thousands of Beneficiaries in Most States
A KFF analysis shows that a new out-of-pocket spending cap in Medicare Part D could translate into savings for well over 1 million beneficiaries when it takes effect next year, including more than 100,000 people each in California, Florida and Texas, based on analyses of drug spending in 2021. The $2,000 cap, part of the … More from KFF https://ift.tt/tEh8jC4
Millions of People with Medicare Will Benefit from the New Out-of-Pocket Drug Spending Cap Over Time
Millions of People with Medicare Will Benefit from the New Out-of-Pocket Drug Spending Cap Over Time
In 2025, Medicare beneficiaries will pay no more than $2,000 out of pocket for prescription drugs covered under Part D, Medicare’s outpatient drug benefit, due to a provision in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. This analysis examines how many Medicare Part D enrollees spent $2,000 or more out of pocket in 2021 and over multiple years, both nationally and at the state level, to show how many people over time could benefit from the new Part D spending cap. from KFF https://ift.tt/8EXJQMZ
Prescription drug costs are a top concern for the American public. While prescription drugs represent less than 10% of total U.S. health spending and are not the primary driver of the nation’s high health costs, Americans often pay more for the same prescription drugs than people in other countries spend. Ahead of Thursday’s expected Senate … More from KFF https://ift.tt/ymwnBeE
About 1 in 5 adolescents report symptoms of anxiety or depression, according to a KFF analysis of a new federal survey of teen health. While some teens are getting mental health care, a significant share say they are not receiving the therapy they need due to costs, fear of what others will think, and/or not … More from KFF https://ift.tt/SWLJQmb
State Approaches to Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Findings from a Survey of State Medicaid Programs
State Approaches to Addressing the Opioid Epidemic: Findings from a Survey of State Medicaid Programs
State Medicaid programs are taking steps to address the opioid epidemic. State Medicaid efforts include improving access to OUD treatment medications, covering over the counter Narcan, and extending OUD treatment to soon-to-be-released inmates--a population at high risk of overdose death upon release. from KFF https://ift.tt/lunK95q
Low Incomes, Little Savings: Many Medicare Beneficiaries Have Modest Financial Resources to Draw Upon in Retirement
Low Incomes, Little Savings: Many Medicare Beneficiaries Have Modest Financial Resources to Draw Upon in Retirement
A new KFF analysis shows that most Medicare beneficiaries live on relatively low incomes and have modest financial resources for retirement – posing a risk to their economic well-being, particularly if they were to have a major, unanticipated expense, such as a need for long-term nursing home care. The financial picture is especially bleak among … More from KFF https://ift.tt/YWHAMs7
This brief examines the income, assets, and home equity of Medicare beneficiaries, overall and by age, race and ethnicity, and gender, using data derived from the Dynamic Simulation of Income Model (DYNASIM) for 2023. The analysis highlights that most Medicare beneficiaries live on relatively low incomes and have modest financial resources to draw upon in retirement if they need to cover costly medical care or long-term services and supports, with notable disparities by age, race and ethnicity, and gender. from KFF https://ift.tt/bHLDYa1
This brief uses 2022 data from the National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (N-SUMHSS), an annual survey sent to all substance use and mental health treatment facilities to assess the supply and characteristics of these facilities at a national and state level. Despite the escalation of mental health needs and the increasing and evolving opioid epidemic, accessing treatment continues to be difficult--as indicated by consumer surveys and national data. Factors like the decline in psychiatric beds, financing barriers, difficulty accessing outpatient treatment, and the growing workforce shortages have led to more reports of unmet need and psychiatric boarding in emergency departments. Overall, there are approximately 14,700 facilities providing substance use treatment services and about 9,500 facilities that offer mental health services. More than eight in ten substance use treatment facilities and mental health facilities provide outpatient services; smaller shares offers...